THE SHOULDERS OF ATLAS: Rural Communities and Nuclear Missile Base Construction in Nebraska, 1958-1962.

The article discusses the relationship between the rural communities surrounding Mead, Nebraska and the construction of an Atlas nuclear intercontinental missile (ICBM) base in the region from 1958 to 1962. An overview of the communities surrounding Mead's acceptance of the site for the Atlas missile base, including for reasons of economic gain and patriotism, are discussed. The relationship between the nuclear threat that the Soviet Union posed to the U.S. during the Cold War, the construction of the nuclear missile base near Mead and the importance of the U.S.'s nuclear force the Strategic Air Command (SAC) is also discussed.